Clay centering and spreading apparatus



July'l4, '1970 J.E.MALONEY CLAY CENTERING AND SPREADING APPARATUS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 22. 1968 -44j 3s 43 0 Q i 35 INVENTOR a z 393 JAME-s E. MALoNeY masmgfi'mwmmatfiwm ATTORNEYS July 14, 1970 J. E.MALONEY 3,520,036

CLAY CENTERING AND SPREADING APPARATUS Filed March 22, 1968 A 2Sheets-Sheet 2 mun mum 43 l INVENTOR l3 l5 l4 IAMEsEMALoNeY I BY mauuflakkoemmwee, swig ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,520,036 CLAYCENTERING AND SPREADING APPARATUS James E. Maloney, Lightfoot, Va. 23090Filed Mar. 22, 1968, Ser. No. 715,286 Int. Cl. B28b 1/02 US. Cl. 2524Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE able support for the free end of thearm are also mounted on the arm.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates toapparatus for centering and spreading a plastic ball of clay on apotters wheel so as to enable the beginner or learner to exactly centerand spread to the proper depth the starting ball f clay.

The initial steps of centering the starting plastic ball of clay on apotters wheel in connection with the produotion of a pot and spreadingthe clay to a proper depth requires considerable skill and has been asource of great difiiculty to beginners. Before anything is created onthe potters wheel, the ball of plastic clay must first be truly centeredwhile the potters wheel is revolving and then must be spread to a depthsuch that when the clay is cut from the wheel with a fine wire afterforming the pot, a bottom of the desired thickness will be left on thepot. This proper centering and spreading of the clay requires many hoursof tedious practice for the beginner.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is the provision of novelapparatus associated with a potters wheel to facilitate the initialcentering of the plastic ball of clay on the potters wheel and spreadingof the clay to the proper depth.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of apparatus asdescribed in the immediately preceding paragraph, which is exceedinglysimple and inexpensive in construction and may be readily applied toexisting potters wheel structures with a minimum of expense.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a novelapparatus for attachment to potters wheels to facilitate initialcentering and spreading of the plastic ball of clay on the potterswheel, particularly to enable beginners and students to readily performthese initial procedures, and which can be readily moved out of the wayor placed aside so as not to interfere with use of the potters wheelwhen the operator becomes more skilled.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferredembodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 is a perspective view showingfragmentary portions of a potters wheel and the clay centering andspreading apparatus of the present invention applied thereto;

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FIG. 2 is a vertical transverse section view of the upper portions of apotters wheel and the clay centering and spreading apparatus, takenalong the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section view of the apparatus, taken along the line4-4 of FIG. 2, illustrating the operation of the apparatus in centeringthe ball of plastic clay;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view illustrating the apparatus in loweredposition after the ball of clay is centered and in condition to spreadthe clay so as to form an upwardly opening center cavity of appropriatedepth, part of the clay ball being broken away to illustrate thecavity-forming portion of the apparatus, and

FIG. 6 is a vertical section view taken along the line 66 of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings, whereinlike reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout theseveral figures, there is illustrated a potters wheel apparatus,generally indicated by the reference character 10, comprising a frame 11of conventional construction having vertical and horizontal supportmembers in the illustrated embodiment, all arranged to provide agenerally rectangular well 12 in which is located the rotatable potterswheel 13. The potters wheel 13 may be supported in any conventionalmanner, for example by means of a vertical depending shaft 14, extendingthrough and rotatably supported in a support sleeve 15 and having apulley 16 keyed to the lower end thereof. In the illustrated embodiment,a belt 17 is trained about the pulley 16 and a pulley 18 on a reductionpulley unit 19, suitably journaled on the frame 11, another pulley 20 ofthe reduction unit 19 having a belt 21 trained thereabout and about apulley 22 on the output shaft of an electric drive motor 23 suitablymounted on the frame, all providing a drive source for the potters wheel13.

The novel clay centering and spreading apparatus of the presentinvention is indicated generally by the reference character 25 and, inthe embodiment herein illustrated, is of extremely simple constructionmade from readily available lumber and hardware components. In theherein illustrated embodiment, the apparatus 25 comprises an elongatedarm 26, for example a board about two to three feet long ofapproximately two inch by four inch cross section timber coupled at oneend by bolt 27 to hinge plate 28 of hinge 29, having another hinge plate30 fixed to a vertical supporting board 31 secured to the frame. Thehinge plate 30 is afiixed to the support post 31 so that the hinge axisis disposed horizontally while the bolt 27 is disposed vertically, thusproviding a substantially universal hinge axis for the arm 26 so that itcan be moved about either vertical or horizontal axes. A sponge 32, forexample a rectangular sponge approximately two inches thick, four incheswide and six to eight inches long, secured to a rectangular, rigid basemember 33, formed for example from a board of similarmaterial to the arm26, is afiixed to the underside of the arm 26 in depending relationcentered over the potters wheel 13. To the right-hand side of thissponge 32, as viewed in FIG. 1, is a floating centering board 34, whichmay be approximately ten inches by twelve inches and of any desiredthickness supported for free floating, vertical movement in laterallyflanking guide members 35, fixed to the side of the arm 26 adjacent thelocation of the sponge 32.

A dowel supporting board 36, formed for example from one inch by eightinch lumber, is disposed in a horizontal position across the front ofthe frame 11 adjacent the place where the potter stands and located inplane approximately three inches above the plane of the potters wheel13. In the center region of the dowel supporting board 36 are aplurality of dowel holes 37 spaced approximately one inch apartlaterally and adapted to removably receive dowel pin 38. The dowel holes37 are so located relative to the line from the bolt 27 to the centeraxis of the potters wheel 13 to so locate the arm 26 when it abuts thedowel pin 38, and thus locate the floating centering board 34 relativeto the axis of the potters wheel 13, to provide a centering wall spacedrelative ot the potters wheel axis to shape the clay ball, indicated byreference character 39, into cylinders of selected diameters.

In order to support the arm 26 against downward movement from a selectedposition disposing the bottom of the sponge 32 at a selected heightabove the potters Wheel 13, a hinge 40, of the gate hinge type havingone elongated hinge plate 41, which is considerably longer than theother hinge plate 42, is secured to the outer end of the arm 26 byscrews or fastening means extending through the smaller hinge plate 42.The hinge axis is located immediately outwardly of the end of the arm 26so that the longer hinge plate 41 may be turned downwardly and its lowerend rested against the dowel sup-porting board 36.

A hinge 43, also of the gate hinge type consrtuction, is aflixed at itssmaller hinge plate 44 to the top of the arm- 26 at a position tooverlie the center of the potters wheel, with its hinge axis parallelingand registering with the left edge of the arm 26, as viewed in FIG. 1,so that the longer hinge plate 45 may be turned downwardly into avertical depending position. The longer hinge plate 45 is of generalytriangular configuration, converging to a tip at its free end, and has asmall sponge 46 on its free end to engage the clay and spread the sameto form an upwardly opening cavity in the center of the clay ball, aswill be later described.

In the operation of this apparatus by the student, the student shouldmix thoroughly about one or two pounds of plastic clay and make it intoa round ball, and then place this ball on the center of the potterswheel 13 while the wheel is dry. The sponge 32 is then moistened, thedowel pin 38 is inserted into the appropriate dowel hole 37 for thedesired diameter of the centered starting ball of clay, and the arm 26is lowered to bring the sponge 32 into contact with the top of the clay.The floating board 34 is placed in the guide members 35 and lowereduntil its bottom contacts the upper surface of the potters wheel 13. Theoperator then presses down firmly on the free end of the arm 26,exerting pressure from the moistened sponge 32 on the top of the clayball 39 while the potters wheel 13 is revolved. This is continued untilthe clay is forced to a cylindrical configuration with its cylindricalsurface engaging the board 34 which, since the board forms a tangent ofa circle about the axis of the potters wheel 13 of the proper diameter,restricts the lateral extent to which the clay 39* can be spread. Thedowel pin 38 is then removed, the floating board 34 is removed, thelonger hinge plates 41 and 45 of the hinges 40 and 43 are dropped tovertical depending position and the arm 36 is pressed downwardly withthe hinge plate 45 approximately centered over the potters wheel 13 tospread the clay hall 39 out from the center thereof and form the cavity47, illustrated in FIG. therein, having a depth such that its bottom isspaced appropriately from the top of the potters wheel 13 by engagementof the longer hinge plate 41 with the dowel supporting board 36. Then,with the potters wheel .13 still revolving, the arm 26 can be swungupwardly and out of the way and the clay may be shaped free-hand to thedesired final configuration for the pot. In accordance with usualprocedure, when the pot is completely shaped, the potter then cutsthrough the lowermost portion of the clay immediately adjacent the uppersurface of the potters wheel 13 by the usual fine wire, leaving a bottomon the pot of appropriate thickness because of the action of the hingeplate 41 in limiting the depth to which the sponge 46 forms the cavityin the clay ball. By this apparatus, the steps of centering andspreading the clay ball, which was formerly very difficult for thebeginning when performed by hand, are considerably simplified by thesemechanical aids, permitting the beginner to readily perform theseinitial steps and then proceed with hand-forming or shaping of thedesired clay article.

While but one particular embodiment of the present invention has beenspecifically shown and described, it will be apparent that variousmodifications may be made therein within the spirit and scope of theinvention, and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations beplaced on the invention as are imposed by the prior art and set forth inthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for centering and spreading a plastic ball of clay on theupper surface of a rotating potters wheel, comprising a supportingmember spaced laterally from the potters wheel, an elongated rigid armhingedly supported at one end to said support member about vertical andhorizontal pivot axes for vertical angular movement above the plane ofsaid upper surface and for horizontal angular movement to positionsdisposing an intermediate portion of the arm vertically overlying saidupper surface, a downwardly facing sponge carried by said intermediateportion to bear downwardly upon the ball of clay on the potters wheel,and a vertical panel member removably supported by said intermediateportion in a vertical plane adjacent said sponge and guided for verticalmovement relative to the arm to rest upon said upper surface at variouspositions spaced from the axis of said upper surface and paralleling adiameter thereof to define a vertical wall to laterally engage the ballof clay and urge the same into a cylindrical configuration duringrotation of the potters wheel.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said arm includes a free endspaced laterally from the potters wheel on the opposite side thereofrelative to said support member, a platform member disposed alongside aportion of the potters wheel and underlying said free end having aplurality of dowel sockets therein, and a vertical dowel memberremovably locatable in said sockets and having a height to reach atleast alongside said free end portion to engage and locate the arm atangular positions about the vertical pivot axes appropriate to locatesaid panel member to form the ball of clay into cylinders of selecteddiameter.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said arm includes a free endlocated on the opposite side of the potters wheel from the supportmember, a platform member underlying said free end, and a movable armsupport on said free end having an elongated abutment portionpositionable in depending relation below said arm for a selecteddistance to engage said platform and thereby support the arm at apreselected position about its horizontal hinge axis.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein a movable arm support onsaid free end having an elongated abutment portion positionable independing relation below said arm for a selected distance to engage saidplatform and thereby support the arm at av preselected position aboutits horizontal hinge axis.

'5. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said arm support is a hingemember having a first hinge plate fixed to said arm and a second,elongated hinge plate pivotable about a substantially horizontal hingeaxis into downwardly extending relation and having a lower free endspaced a selected distance below said hinge axis and arm to abut saidplatform and support the arm a predetermined distance above the potterswheel.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said arm support is a hingemember having a first hinge plate fixed to said arm and a second,elongated hinge plate pivotable about a substantially horizontal hingeaxis into downwardly extending relation and having a lower free endspaced a selected distance below said hinge axis and arm to abut saidplatform and support the arm a predetermined distance above the potterswheel.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein a cavity forming element iscarried by the intermediate portion of said arm including an elongatedplate portion movable about a substantially horizontal pivot axisrelative to said arm to a downwardly extending position disposing itslower free end a selected distance below the arm, said lower free end ofsaid plate portion having a sponge tip to engage the ball of clay andform an upwardly opening cavity therein of a depth determined by thevertical angular position of said arm as the arm is moved downwardlyabout its horizontal pivot axis to force the sponge tip into the ball ofclay.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein a cavity forming element iscarried by the intermediate portion of said arm including an elongatedplate portion movable about a substantially horizontal pivot axisrelative to said arm to a downwardly extending position disposing itslower free end a selected distance below the arm, said lower free end ofsaid plate portion having a sponge tip to engage the ball of clay andform an upwardly opening cavity therein of a depth determined by thevertical angu lar position of said arm as the arm is moved downwardlyabout its horizontal pivot axis to force the sponge tip into the ball ofclay.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein a cavity 6 t forming elementis carried by the intermediate portion of said arm including anelongated plate portion movable about a substantially horizontal pivotaxis relative to said arm to a downwardly extending position disposingits lower free end a selected distance below the arm, said lower freeend of said plate portion having a sponge tip to engage the ball of clayand form an upwardly opening cavity therein of a depth determined by thevertical angular position of said arm as the arm is moved downwardlyabout its horizontal pivot axis to force the sponge tip into the ball ofclay.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said cavity-forming elementis a hinge of the gate hinge type having a first hinge plate secured insubstantially horizontal position on said arm, and a second elongatedsubstantially triangular hinge plate coupled to said first hinge platealong a pivot axis paralleling the longitudinal axis of the arm andhaving a substantially pointed tip carrying said sponge tip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 38,905 6/1863 Marcher 25-25FOREIGN PATENTS 17,889 7/1914 Great Britain.

975,034 11/1964 Great Britain.

ROBERT D. BALDWIN, Primary Examiner

